Can opener



-April-l5 1924.

J. T. WOODS CAN OPENER Filed March 22. 1923 uvmvrok. @aep/z 7%( f/S,

A T TORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 15, 1924.

warren stares raaasza JOSEPH T. woons, or HAMMETT, IDAHO.

can I ormvna.

Application filed March 22, 1923. Serial No. 626,812.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn T. VVooDs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hammett, in the county of Elmore and State of Idaho, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Can Openers, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in can openers, and moreparticularly the handle element of the opener and has for its object toprovide in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a can opener including acutter blade and a handle, and with the latter provided with an integralreduced lengthwise extending portion forming a combined support,positioning and spacing means for the cutter, as well as a fulcrum forthe cutter during the operation of opening the can.

Further object of the invention is to provide a can opener with acutting blade guarded as much as possible and so arranged with acoupling member that when can opener is in cutting position it isfastened securely to can, minimizing the chances of instrument slippingand causing injury to operator. 2

A further object of the invention isto provide in a manner ashereinafter referred to a can opener including a handle element carryinga cutter and further provided at one end forwardly with respect to thecutter with a grooved coupling member swivelly attached to the handleelement and constituting means for detachably connecting the latter tothe can during the opening operation..

Further objects of the invention are to provide a can opener which issimple, small and, compact in its construction and arrangement, strong,durable, efficient in its use, conveniently connected with the can,readily assembled, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts ashereinaftermore specifically described, and illustrated in theaccompanyingdrawings,wherein is shown an embodinientof the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifica-. tionscan be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings, wherein like "reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views 'Figure 1 is a'top plan View of a canopener in accordance with this invention, showing the adaptation thereofin connection with a can for opening it, the can being broken away, andfurther showing in dotted lines with respect to the can, cuttingpositions of the opener. I

Figure 2 is an inverted plan, broken away, of the handle element,showing the cutter secured thereto.

Figure 8 is aninverted view in perspective of the handle element.

Figure 4 is a side elevation, broken away,

showing the adaptation of the opener in connection with a can, thelatter being in section. I

Figure 5 is a sectional detail showing the coupling member forthe handleelement.

A can opener in accordance with this invention comprises a handleelement, a coupling member, and a cutter, and the'said handle elementincludes a curved skeleton gripping portion 1, which has projectingtherefrom, as well as offset with respect thereto, a shank 2. The shank2 gradually increases in widthfrom its point of joinder with thegripping portion 1 to the free end of the shank. f

The shank 2 is of less thickness than the gripping portion 1, and thelower face of the shank 2, is formed with a lengthwise extending strip 3which is formed integral with the shank 2 or, if desired, can be formedindependently and secured to the lower face'of the shank2 in anysuitable manner. The strip 3 has one side edge flush with oneside edgeof the shank 2, and said strip 3 extends from the forward end of thegripping portion 1, and terminates at a point removed from the free endof the shank 2 The strip 3 is of materially less width than the width ofthe shank 2, and has the other side edge thereof of curvilinear contouras at 4. The forward edge 5 of the strip 3, is'inclined with respect tothe lower face of the shank 2 and the said edge 5 extends transverselyand rearwardly at an inclination with respect to the lower face of theshank 2. The strip 3 provides acombined support, positioning and spacingmeans for the cutter, to be presently referred to, as well as a fulcrumfor the cutter during the operation of opening the can.

he lower face of the strip 3 extends in a plane inwardly with respect tothe plane of the lower face of the gripping portion 1, or in otherwords, the lower face of the strip 3 is not flush with the lower face ofthe gripping portion 1, so that the forward end of the gripping portion1 provides a shoulder 6, against which abuts the cutter to be presentlyreferred to. The shoulder 6 extends at an inclination, and oppositelyinclines with respect to the inclination of the forward edge 5 of thestrip 3.

Mounted on the strip 3, is a cutter 7 of the same width as the width ofthe shank 2. One

end edge of the cutter 7 abuts against the shoulder 6 and its other endedge is fiush with the forward end edge 5 of the strip 3. The forwardend edge of the cutter 7, which is flush with the edge 5 of the strip 3,is disposed throughout at an inclination, as indicated at 8, and therear end edge of the cutter 7, is inclined in an opposite direction withrespect to its forward edge, as indicated at 9 and with the edge 9abutting against the shoulder 6. The cutting edge of the cutter 7, isindicated at 11, and which also extends at an inclination therebyproviding in connection with the end edge 8, a penetrating point 12. Thecutter 7 is fixedly secured upon t .e strip 3 by holdfast devices 13,which extend through openings 14;, formed in the strip 3, and thesaidopenings 14 extend through the shank 2, so that the holdfast devices13 will not only extend through the strip 3,but also through the shank 2and by this arrangement the cutter 7 is fixedly secured in position onthe strip 3, as well as being spaced from the shank 2. The outer face ofthe cutter 7 is flush with the lower face of the gripping portion 1, andthe cutting edge is bevelled on underside as illustrated in Figure 2.

The shank 2 in'proximity to its free or forward end, and at one cornerthereof is provided with an opening 15, in which is.

s 'ivelled a coupling member, formed of a cylindrical body portion 16,provided with a diametrically extending groove 17 for the reception ofthe head or rim 18 of the can 19. lhe coupling member further includes ashank 18 of less diameter than the body portion 16, and the shank 18terminates in a head 19'. Interposed between thehead 19' and the shank2, is a holding disk 20. The holding disk 20 is non-rotatably securedupon the shank of the head 19 and its edge is preferably knurled tofacilitate turning of the head to properly aline the groove 17 thereinwith the rim or bead of the can. The upper face of the disk is providedwith a diametrical line 20 which is disposed in accurate parallelrotation to the groove 17 whereby the operator may readily determine theposition of the groove with respect to the handle in applying the canopener to a can, by aligning the line 20 with an indicator 20 The cutterextends in close proximity to the body portion 16, as shown in Fig. 2,but is spaced therefrom by the strip 3, as shown in Fig. 4.

When the handle element is connected with the can, through the medium ofthe coupling member, the edge 15 of the strip 3 will engage the can andact as a fulcrum during the operation of the cutter, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 1.

In use, the can 19 to be opened is stood on end and the handle elementis adjusted so as to be coupled with the head or rim 18 at the top ofthe can, by the mounting of the body portion 16 of the coupling memberon said bead 18. When the can opener is initially applied to the can, itis disposed in the position illustrated by full lines in Fig. 1, thepenetrating point 12 of the cutter 7, lying contiguous to the side wallof the can. As the can opener is swung in the directions indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 1, the penetrating point 12 enters the side. wallof the can and the movement of the handle element is continued in thedirection as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 1, the cutting edge 11forms a long cut in the side wall of the can. At the end of the cuttingstroke, the handle element is swung outwardly, and then shifted upon thehead or rim 18, the latter sliding in the groove of the body portion 16of the coupling member and after the tool has been shifted, the swingingmovement of the handle element is repeated as often as necessary untilthe circumferential out has been made entirely about the can.

. From the foregoing, it is evident by virtue of the close arrangementof the coupling member to the penetrating point 12, the can may bemerely penetrated or punctured to initially enter the cutter 7.Furthermore, owing to the inward movement of the cutter, during thecutting operation, the edge of the can at the cut is turned inwardly,instead of outwardly as usual, thus minimizing liability to injury ofthe hands of the operator during handling of the can subsequent to theopening thereof. It is also evident that by slotting the coupling memberor rather grooving it in the manner as shown, the can opener ismaintained in position upon the can during the operation and possibilityof accidental displacement of the implement and consequent injury to thehands of the operator is minimized.

The strip 3 forms an extended hearing or support for the cutter 7, aswell as spacing the cutter 7 from the shank 2, so that the shank canpass over the rim of head 18,

during the entrance of the cutter 7 into the can through the wallthereof, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Further, the end 15,bears against the can, during the operation of the can opener, and actsin a manner as a fulcrum for the cutter 7.

The curvature of the edge 4 of the strip 3, conforms in contour to thecurvature of the can body, and said edge leis spaced from that edge ofthe shank 2, from which the cutter 7 projects, and does not retard inany manner the entrance of the cutter 7 into the can during the cuttingoperation as the curvature of said edge 4, as well as the width of thestrip 3, provides aclearance between the cutter and the shank 2, so asnot to retard the cutting operation performed by the cutter 7.

()wing to the construction and arrangement and alsothe shape of thecutter 7, the latter is of extremely substantial and rigid constructionand its cutting edge 11 is very readily accessible for the purpose ofsharpening and further by virtue of the bevel being on the underside'ofthe cutting blade, the side wall of the can is practically sheared offdirectly below the head of can, producing a straight and smooth out. Itis further evident that with the cut mad on the inward stroke and byvirtue of the arrangement of the cutter 7, with respect to the shank 2,that pressure applied in making the cut is directed towards the centerof the can, thus eliminating any twisting motion and minimizing thepower or pressure required to hold the can.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying draw ings, a construction of can opener is set up. whichincludes a combined supporting, positioning and spacing means for thecutter, as well as a fulcrum for thecutter during the operation ofopening the can, and although. the preferred embodiment of the inventionis as shown and described, yet it is to be understood that changes inthe details of construction can be had which will fall within the lightof the invention as claimed.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. A can opener comprising a ment formed with a gripping portion and ashank, a strip extending lengthwise of the lower face ofthe shank'andterminating at a point rearwardly with respect to the forward end of theshank, said strip being of less width than the width of the, shank andhaving a curved inner edge, said at .a point rearwardly with respect tothe forward end of the shank, said strip being of less width than thewidth of the shank and having a curved inner edge, said strip providinga supporting, positioning and spacing means for a cutter, and a cuttersecured to said strip and projecting from one side of the shank andpermanently maintained in spaced relation with respect to the shank bysaid strip, and a grooved coupling member swivelled to the free end ofsaid shank forwardly of said strip, said cutter} handle eleo having itsforward end inclined and fur-' ther provided with an elongated cuttingedge terminating at said forward end in' a penetrating point.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto.

JOSEPH rwooDs

